This invention relates to incinerators and methods for burning rubbish and refuse and, more particularly, to an incinerator and rubbish burning method whereby both sorted and unsorted rubbish and refuse are cleanly and efficiently combusted while uncombustible materials are passed through for reuse.
Incinerators and burning methods for waste, scrap and refuse such as sawdust and the like are well-known. While operating successfully for specific, individual types of waste materials, problems are often encountered with known incinerators and methods in attempting to burn a combination of many types materials as are encountered in modern day rubbish and refuse collected in urban and other areas.
A reoccurring problem with known incinerators has been the incomplete combustion of the varying materials resulting in exhaust pollution and residual waste materials from the incineration. Such incomplete combustion includes a failure to burn gases of combustion as well as incomplete initial combustion of the actual solid waste. In addition, since many non-combustible materials such as glass bottles, metal cans, chunks of cement or cinder blocks and various manufactured items fashioned from metal and other non-combustible or combustion-resistant materials are included with such rubbish, it is necessary for an efficient incinerator and burning method to accommodate such materials. Prior known apparatuses have had difficulty in passing non-combustible materials therethrough or have required time-consuming and expensive sorting or shredding before incineration.
Other problems encountered with prior devices and methods include clogging of the incinerator when attempting to burn varying materials and generally insufficient temperatures to completely combust the various fibers, plastics, paper, fabrics, grease, oils, fats, rubber products and the like which are encountered. Further, prior apparatuses have attempted to burn or combust such materials too quickly also resulting in incomplete combustion and consequent pollution in the exhaust gases.
It has been discovered in developing the present invention that the burning of varying materials requires the enhancement of combustion at various points within the apparatus and process. Prior incinerators and methods have not successfully accomplished such enhancement. Moreover, consistently efficient combustion in high-humidity and other varying weather conditions, and an ability to avoid the use of expensive additional fuels such as natural gas, oil, kerosene or the like are also important in the incineration of rubbish. Such conditions and requirements have limited the usefulness of prior structures.
Accordingly, the need has been present for an efficient, clean-burning rubbish incinerator and combustion method which can handle varying types of rubbish and refuse without prior requiring sorting or shredding and which provides the ability to burn combustible materials and pass through or recycle non-combustible metals and other materials in reuseable form without disruption of the combustion process. The present invention has been developed in recognition of such need and as a solution for the above and other incineration problems.